The invention relates generally to conductors having wire bond pads to which conductive leads of integrated circuit dice are connectable and methods therefor.
Wire bonding is a known technique for mounting electrical circuit devices, for example semiconductor integrated circuit dice, in electronic packaging. These circuit devices generally comprise a plurality of relatively small conductive leads that are electrically connected, for example by ultrasonic bonding, to wire bond pads of corresponding conductors embedded in the device package, which is usually a dielectric material. See generally U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,255 entitled xe2x80x9cSemiconductor Integrated Circuit Device Having an Electrode Pad Including an Extended Wire Bonding Portionxe2x80x9d.
In some applications, the conductive leads or wires of the circuit devices are bonded to aluminum pads formed on corresponding conductors of the device package. In a known aluminium wire bond pad forming operation, a channel is formed in a strip of stock conductor material, for example a copper alloy, and a relatively thin strip of aluminum inlay is disposed in the channel. Thereafter, the conductor material with the aluminum inlay is reduced in a cold rolling operation to approximately one-half its original thickness. The conductor material with the inlayed aluminum strip is then cut into individual conductors strips, each of which includes an aluminum portion, which forms the wire bond pad. The aluminum inlay material used in known aluminum wire bond pad forming operations, however, is available from a limited supply and is very costly.
An object of the present invention is to provide novel wire bond pads and methods therefor the overcome problems in and improve upon the prior art.
Another object of the invention is to provide novel wire bond pads and methods therefor that are economical and reliable.
A further object of the invention is to provide novel wire bond pads and methods therefor that utilize reduced amounts of wire bond pad material.
Another object of the invention is to provide novel wire bond pads formed by conducting members disposed in openings of corresponding conductors embedded in an insulating member of a circuit device package.
A more particular object of the invention is to provide novel wire bond pads for electrical circuit device packages generally comprising a conductor of a first electrically conductive material embedded in an insulating member, preferably by insert molding, and a conducting member of a second electrically conductive material disposed in an opening of a portion of the conductor protruding into a device accommodating portion of the electrical circuit device package.
Another more particular object of the invention is to provide novel wire bond pad methods generally comprising forming an opening in a conductor of a first electrically conductive material, forming a conducting member of a second electrically conductive material, transferring the conducting member into the opening of the conductor, and electrically contacting the conducting member with the conductor.
These and other objects, aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent upon careful consideration of the following Detailed Description of the Invention and the accompanying Drawings, which may be disproportionate for ease of understanding, wherein like structure and steps are referenced generally by corresponding numerals and indicators.